Welsh Journals

excluded from the earlier Directory, and a 'broad' sample of desk-libraries, with one or more pre- 1700 prescribed books. Following the 'Editorial Introduction' and two pages of statistics about the Parochial Libraries comes a revised version of the original 1959 'Historical Introduction' giving an account of the rise and development of libraries in churches and parsonages between the fifteenth and twentieth centuries. Though still brief following its revision, it sets the context of the survey and, in a period during which the opinions of Philistines are regarded as worthy of consideration, it is good to be reminded that the likes of Parochial Libraries, though dated and, according to some, surplus to the requirements of modern society, 'are part of the cultural heritage of which we are now the trustees.' The author goes on: 'Their interest is great, for they are evidence of historical events, and give us glimpses of the way our forebears dealt with the problems of their time, as well as material for the study of social and political life.' The tragedy of our day, more so than in 1959, is that if put to the vote as possible restoration projects, many of them would be consigned to be dismantled and forgotten. This volume is a bulwark against such an attitude. The 'Historical Introduction' continues with a section explaining how the Trustees' Libraries were established, administered and kept, and sample book lists have been included to show what was being given to the clergy and their contemporaries. This in turn leads to a 'Postscript' to the introductory part, in which the editor provides an overview of the work done in relation to the study of Parochial Libraries since 1959. The dates of foundation of the various libraries and their location according to county are then given before we come to the main section of the work, the directory of Parochial Libraries, past and present. There are five appendices. The first contains extracts pertaining to Parochial Libraries from the 1 709 Act of Parliament; the second, a list of books, dated c. 1699, distributed by Bishop Thomas Wilson of Sodor and Man. The third is a table in which an attempt has been made 'to identify and conflate into one sequence the titles listed in the catalogues and lists' of various libraries, while the fourth consists of some suggestion and comments concerning the care of Parochial Libraries. The fifth and final appendix contains descriptions of, and extracts from, a selection of reports which have appeared over the years in which various recommendations have been made. Published by the Bibliographic Society, bound between hard covers, thoroughly indexed and discreetly illustrated with over forty black-and-white photographs and reprints of bookplates, this volume will be a valuable addition